Flexible elongated members that are used to transmit material or energy, such as air hoses, water hoses, electric cords and the like, are frequently coiled onto on winding reels. In a simple application, the elongated member is wound onto the reel for storage and then completely unwound and removed from the reel for use. On such a reel, a free end of the elongated member is grasped and pulled to rotate the reel and unwind the elongated member. During unwinding, the opposite end of the elongated member can be captured against the winding surface of the reel by the outer coils and will rotate along with the reel. Since the captured end is both confined and moving, it can be difficult or impossible to connect this end to a source of material or energy while the elongated member is on the reel. Thus, the elongated member cannot be utilized while installed on the reel.
In some applications it can be advantageous to connect the captured end of the elongated member to a source of material or energy without having to completely remove the member from the reel. For example, if an air compressor can be connected to the captured end of an air hose installed on a reel, and in a manner that accommodates the rotation of the reel, then the air hose can be utilized without having to completely remove the hose from the reel. Instead, the operator can merely unwind the desired length of the hose from the reel and connect the free end a pneumatically powered device. This type of arrangement facilitates the controlled and orderly use of the air hose, since the operator does not have to deal with its full and unconstrained length, and two free ends, in order to utilize the hose.
Such a reel must include a means for placing the captured end of the air hose in communication with the air compressor that compensates for the rotation of the reel. For example a fitting on the captured end can be connected to a corresponding fitting incorporated into the reel""s axle, which in turn is connected to another air hose leading to a compressor. The fittings can include couplings employing o-rings or the like which will accommodate the rotation of the reel so as to avoid twisting and binding the air hose running to the compressor. However, such fittings can provide a leak path for the air, a problem which can be exacerbated by the wear and tear on the moving parts.
Additionally, the use of the confined area defined by the axle for a connection point tends to have a limiting effect on the number of air hoses that can be used while installed on the reel. This can be a disadvantage when a device requires inputs from multiple air lines, and particularly so when the operating environment lends itself to the difficulty of handling the multiple air lines. For example, the operation of the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,037 to Wivagg, entitled Multi-Lift Tool and Method for Moving Control Rods in a Nuclear Reactor, can involve the use of multiple air lines to power a tool in a difficult environment.
This tool can be lowered into a pool of water in an area of a nuclear reactor exposed to radiation, and can require as many as eight air lines to operate. Preferably a single reel would be used to handle the entire complement of air lines needed. However, since most prior art reels will not handle the required number of air lines, multiple reels must be used. This is undesirable because operators of the equipment will generally prefer to minimize the number of objects adjacent the pool of water to reduce the potential for accidents and to minimize the number of objects that may be in need of special handling due to radiation exposure. In addition, when the air lines are retracted from the pool they can disperse water that has been exposed to radiation into the work environment, an undesirable event which can be aggravated by the use of multiple reels scattered around the work area.
Apparatus is provided for delivering energy and material, such as electricity, air and fluid, from a source to a driven device. The apparatus comprises at least one flexible elongated member selected from the group of electrical conductors, air hoses, fluid hoses and the like. The elongated member has a feed portion with a feed end connectable to the source, a slack portion, a supply portion with a supply end connectable to the driven device, a first portion between the feed portion and the slack portion, and a second portion between the slack portion and the supply portion. If desired, the elongated member can comprise multiple conduits.
A reel is provided with a stationary hub and a spool connected to the hub, the spool being rotatable relative to the hub between stored and deployed conditions. A winding wall on the spool is spaced away from the hub and has an internal surface, an oppositely disposed winding surface, and an aperture extending therethrough. A storage compartment is positioned between the hub and the internal surface. A first clamp on the hub fixes the first portion of the elongated member in place relative to the hub, positions the supply portion to extend away from the reel, and positions the slack portion to extend into the storage compartment. A second clamp on the spool fixes the second portion relative to the spool and positions the supply portion to extend through the aperture.
When the elongated member is on the apparatus with the spool in the stored condition, the feed portion can extend to and be connected to the source, the slack portion is positioned in the storage compartment, and the supply portion is wound onto the winding surface. When the spool is rotated to the deployed condition, the feed portion can remain connected to the source without twisting, the slack portion partially tightens around the hub while remaining in the storage compartment to accommodate the rotation of the spool, and at least a part of the supply portion unwinds from the winding surface a sufficient distance to connect the supply end to the driven device.
The apparatus can also include a force means for moving the spool between the deployed and the stored conditions. The force means can be a device such as a spring motor that stores spring energy when the spool is moved from the stored condition to the deployed condition, and releases spring energy when the spool is moved from the deployed condition to the stored condition.
The reel can include an upper portion containing a recess therein for removably connecting the apparatus to an adjacent structure, and the recess can comprise surfaces on wheels that engage a complementary surface on the adjacent structure. The reel can also include a lower portion with a bumper that engages the adjacent structure, and a moveable member for adjusting a distance between the recess and the bumper.